Harraden, Richard Bankes (SCC Newsletter June 1995)

Richard Bankes Harraden

NOTE re. his WORK on IVORY.

When Sue Mckechnie compiled her Book in 1978 it was not known that Mr. Harraden had worked on ivory. Therefore she only had entries on him in Section 2 (painting on card & paper) and Section 7 (painting costume in full or part colour).

However, a few years ago Peter Taylor a member of the Club acquired a Harraden on ivory and referred to this in an article for the "Collectors' Guide" September, 1981. Also in the last two years two other Harradens on ivory were sold at Phillips in Bayswater. All three are of University sitters wearing gowns. Mr. Harraden is not known to have painted any other type of subject - although he was a very able painter of landscapes and views of Cambridge. He also wrote

books - one was on the subject of university costume. This work was illustrated by him - no doubt some of his silhouettes were used as 'models' for these illustrations.

Harraden did produce a label - but often this is not found on his silhouettes. It is not difficult to attribute works to him - as he had a very distinctive way of painting the folds of stocks and the frills of shirts in thinned pigment. He also painted hair in great detail and with the utmost care. He used gum arabic with great skill to show the folds and details of his sitters' gowns. It is not thought that he ever painted women. When he painted on card his base colour was usually a deep and slightly brownish grey. So far those found on ivory have a black basecolour.

The illustrations on this page show his 'strengths' and the skill of his work. This silhouette was one of those sold at Phillips in 1994. The detailed photo almost shows the grain of the ivory on which it is painted.

With hindsight I think it is possible that the silhouette illustrated in Mrs. McKechnie's Book on page 752 plate 1612 is actually on ivory. It may be that plate 1613 on the same page is as well.